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Journalists Hit in Hotel
Sky News ^
| 3/8/2003
| David Chater
Posted on 04/08/2003 5:48:59 AM PDT by m1911
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To: cyncooper
No problem. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I know how most of us feel about the press in general. But, like telling them not to be shocked when they get casualties in a war zone, we shouldn't be surprised when those casualties turn into negative press for the coalition and the US in particular.
We are supposed to be the realists, dealing with as-things-are, not as-they-should-be. The reality is that we need to give the press as little ammunition as possible (pun intended). We're in two wars at once here, the shooting war and the PR war, and in the long run the PR war is the only one we have a chance of losing. We need to at least fight the PR war to a draw, and shooting at the journalists is a pretty poor tactic.
21
posted on
04/08/2003 6:30:45 AM PDT
by
m1911
To: m1911
They are in the midst of a war and they just now figure out its dangerous and can kill you?
22
posted on
04/08/2003 6:31:11 AM PDT
by
linn37
To: Timesink
Those of us who were up watching it all night on the live thread can answer that for you: YES, he DID think it was safe. It seems to me that the last place I would want to be is on the balcony of a multi-story building, during a pitched battle, looking down on a tank taking sniper fire. I would get the frick off the balcony and take cover. But that's just me.
To: m1911
Even if it was a mistake on our troops side, the fact is they chose to be in a war zone and things happens. One thing is for sure, the troops have no interest in killing reporters, it serves no positive purpose.
On the other hand if Baghdad Bob's battallions have not got the idea to use the reporters as shields now they have it.
24
posted on
04/08/2003 6:37:59 AM PDT
by
Minty
To: MizSterious
Well can't win them all. Maybe he will stay longer. My only hope is that the fartayeens get him next time.
25
posted on
04/08/2003 6:40:01 AM PDT
by
Minty
To: m1911
Not good.Chater has been critical of the U.S. from day #1. When the presidential complex was hit with precision strikes in the middle of the night, Chater was babbling about civilian casualties with no evidence whatsoever.
Anyone who's watched the live feeds from the hotel for any length of time can tell, by sound, and occasionally by sight, that the place is crawling with Iraqi "minders." How convenient that Chater and others in the press neglect to mention these people in their remarks.
To: Catspaw
As usual, being such a lofty person as a journalist, reality is for other people, they chose to stay when they should have moved. Sitting untouched in the middle of a war zone, expecting to remain untouched is really delusional. That they are not all dead of stupidity is an amazing thing.
I certainly hope they are not looking for sympathy from us lowly stupid unclean readers, worldwide! If up to us they'd have taken a couple of direct hits!
27
posted on
04/08/2003 6:43:23 AM PDT
by
wingnuts'nbolts
(I see the world and my surroundings in a new light and I still hate all things Clinton)
To: m1911
With the sound of people running and shouting in the background, evacuating the building, he said: "I don't understand why they were doing that. There was no fire coming out of this hotel - everyone knows it's full of journalists. Everyone also knows that Hussein's regime has a history of using civilians as human shields. If Chater doesn't understand that, he has no business being in Baghdad.
Is this the same incident in which two Al Jazeera employees were killed?
28
posted on
04/08/2003 6:44:40 AM PDT
by
alnick
To: m1911
Reporters are there at their own risk. If snipers are shooting at our troops from that building then that building is a legitimate target.
Perhaps the journalists should look around.
29
posted on
04/08/2003 6:46:54 AM PDT
by
1Old Pro
(The Dems are self-destructing before our eyes, How Great is That !)
To: m1911
Is it wrong to hope that Chater gets capped?
If it is, I'm happy to be wrong.
He's been a carping, whining critic of the Coalition from day one.
"You're either with us, or with the terrorists"
30
posted on
04/08/2003 6:47:29 AM PDT
by
Yankee
To: m1911
He said the strike came after shots were fired from the building but Chater has insisted he heard nothing coming from the Palestine Hotel and called the claim "patently absurd". How could he possibly tell? There is probably almost continuous firing going on in that area. How does he know? Does anybody really believe that a tank purposefully fired at the building with the intent of killing journalists?
To: Merovingian
"Brigadier General Vincent Brooks said "shots came from the LOBBY"...err, so they shot back at the 17th floor?"
Other reports indicate that the tank crew saw someone with binoculars up there and pegged him for a spotter. I doubt the tank crew knew what the building was, and didn't care.
32
posted on
04/08/2003 6:52:05 AM PDT
by
Lee'sGhost
(Crom!)
To: myprecious
33
posted on
04/08/2003 6:52:54 AM PDT
by
ErnBatavia
(Bumperootus!)
To: ErnBatavia
Thank you! Now we can see why the hotel was targeted.
To: m1911; AmericanInTokyo
35
posted on
04/08/2003 7:09:05 AM PDT
by
MizSterious
("The truth takes only seconds to tell."--Jack Straw)
To: myprecious
The smart bombs probably closed their eyes as they got close in.
36
posted on
04/08/2003 7:11:45 AM PDT
by
ErnBatavia
(Bumperootus!)
To: Merovingian
Brigadier General Vincent Brooks said "shots came from the LOBBY"...err, so they shot back at the 17th floor?I just heard shots from the ROOF.
Maybe shots from the lobby, roof, and points in between, hmmmmm?
Why are you so ANXIOUS for the coalition to be at fault? It's obvious you are dancing with anticipation for that to be the case.
37
posted on
04/08/2003 7:13:06 AM PDT
by
cyncooper
(They dug them up with their hands.)
To: Merovingian
Not too smart on the part of the journalists. The tankers weren't taking chances.
38
posted on
04/08/2003 7:13:29 AM PDT
by
Justa
(what the heck, it's on all the other threads)
To: alnick
Is this the same incident in which two Al Jazeera employees were killed?Al Jazeera was hit at its point of business and this is hotel where journalists were staying. Two different strikes.
39
posted on
04/08/2003 7:16:16 AM PDT
by
cyncooper
(They dug them up with their hands.)
To: cyncooper
The shots may have come from the grassy knoll.
40
posted on
04/08/2003 7:21:02 AM PDT
by
AmericanInTokyo
(KIM JONG IL is having another bad underwear day.)
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